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Why people believe weird things

8,409,372 views |

Michael Shermer |

TED2006

• February 2006

Why do people see the Virgin Mary on a cheese sandwich or hear demonic lyrics in "Stairway to Heaven"? Using video and music, skeptic Michael Shermer shows how we convince ourselves to believe -- and overlook the facts.

Why do people see the Virgin Mary on a cheese sandwich or hear demonic lyrics in "Stairway to Heaven"? Using video and music, skeptic Michael Shermer shows how we convince ourselves to believe -- and overlook the facts.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Sign up for Skepticism 101, Michael Shermer's course on how to think like a scientist.

About the speaker

Michael Shermer

Michael Shermer

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Michael Shermer debunks myths, superstitions and urban legends -- and explains why we believe them. Along with publishing Skeptic Magazine, he's author of Why People Believe Weird Things and The Mind of the Market.

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This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Sign up for Skepticism 101, Michael Shermer's course on how to think like a scientist.